betide

Woe betide the philistine who requests a salt shaker or asks that a meticulously prepared dish be spice-bombed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Woe betide anyone who didn't meet Amorim's standards.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025

But woe betide anyone who tried to give her out-of-season berries.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 21, 2022

Woe betide the civic leader in a company town who threatens to buck the company’s interests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2022

Nay, nay, whatever may now betide in war, my line too is ending, even the House of the Stewards has failed.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

But I have to wonder if, whatever betides, I can stay upbeat in spirit.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 16, 2019

It fails to mention Ogden Nash's "One rule which woe betides the banker who fails to heed it,/ Which is you must never lend any money to anybody unless they don't need it."

From Time Magazine Archive

He’ll be true to your cheel whatever betides, or I’m a fule.”

From Children of the Mist by Phillpotts, Eden

Within that house secure he hides, When danger imminent betides Of storm, or other harm besides Of weather.

From The Children's Garland from the Best Poets by Patmore, Coventry Kersey Dighton

Dorcas, the maiden who had brought news of the comet, slipped her. hand within Reuben's arm, and asked him in a whisper: "Thinkest thou, Reuben, that it betides evil to the city?"

From The Sign of the Red Cross by Everett-Green, Evelyn

This should have served to prefigure to me that my soul, once free and sovereign of itself, was on that day to lay aside its sovereignty and become a slave, as it betided.

From La Fiammetta by Boccaccio, Giovanni

Thereupon the Judge explained saying, "Pardon, O King of the Age, I merit even more than what hath betided me."

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 14 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

When the peahen saw what had betided the duck, she came down from the tree, saying, 'I see that misfortunes lie in wait for all.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume III by Payne, John

Her thoughts were with all that had betided in the past and what might have been.

From The Ordeal A Mountain Romance of Tennessee by Duer, Douglas

But, that you may more manifestly apprehend how this betided me, I will briefly declare it to you.'

From The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio by Payne, John

I will come anon and learn what is betiding.

From The Sign of the Red Cross by Everett-Green, Evelyn

Then spake the Carline: "I must now look along the ways of sleep and see what is betiding."

From The Sundering Flood by Morris, May

Betide, betided or betid, betiding, betided or betid.

From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold

There was an Ark with scrolls of the Law in the room, betiding a piety and a purse beyond the normal.

From Ghetto Comedies by Zangwill, Israel

O I know the Hand that is guiding me Through the shadow to the light; And I know that all betiding me Is meted out aright.

From Poems with Power to Strengthen the Soul by Mudge, James